Device for operating headlights.



PATENTED JULY 26, 1904.

G. F. CHAPMAN.

DEVICE FOR OPERATING HEADLIGHTS.

APPLICATION FILED JUNE 13, 1902.

NO MODEL.

No. 766,138. PATENTED JULY 26, 1904. G. F. CHAPMAN.

DEVICE FOR OPERATINGHEADLIGHTS.

APPLICATION FILED JUNE 13, 1902.

NO MODEL. 2 SHEETSSHEET 2.

George F Chap mam UNITED STATES latented. July 26, 1904.

PATENT OEEIcE.

GEORGE F. CHAPMAN, OF MARLBORO, MASSAGI-IUSETTS, ASSIG-NOR OF ONE-HALFTO LEVI \VALLACE, OF AYER, MASSACHUSETLTS. I

DEVICE FOR OPERATING HEADLIGHTS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No 766,138, dated July 46,1904:.

Application filed June 13,1902- Serial No. 111,559. lNo model.)

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, GEORGE F. CHAPMAN, a citizen of the United States,residing at Marlboro, in the county of Middlesex and State ofMassachusetts, have invented certain new and useful Improvements inDevices for Operating Headlights; and I do declare the following to be afull, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enableothers skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use thesame, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, and to thefigures of reference marked thereon, which form a part of thisspecification.

My invention relates to improvements in devices forautomaticallyoperatingheadlights for electric cars, locomotives, andsuch other vehicles wherein a light is used to illuminate the path oftravel; and it consists, essentially, of a new and novel connectionbetween the headlight and a truck of the vehicle whereby the headlightis turned or shifted to either side of a right line as the direction ofthe vehicle is changed, so that the light from said headlight or lampwill at all times be thrown directly between the rails of the track.

The invention further consists in the con struction, arrangement, andcombination of the several parts, as will be hereinafter described, andpointed out in the claims.

The principal object of the invention is to provide a simple andeffective device by means of which the light will at all times bepositively directed and maintained on the path of travel without strainor shock on the lightshifting connections, and consequently nodisplacement or breakage of any of the parts will occur.

Other objects and advantages of the invention will become apparent upona more detailed description thereof.

In the drawings, Figure 1 is a side elevation of a portion of a car,showing my improved device applied thereto. Fig. 2 is a top plan view ofthe device, the car-body being removed. Figs. 3 and at are modifiedforms of the mechanism connected to the headlight. Figs. 5 and 6 aremodified forms of the compensating device.

Referring to the several views, the numeral 5 5 of a T-head rod 6 bymeans of hooks 7 7- on the back of said headlight. The T-head rod 6 issuitably mounted in the buffer-head of the platform and is provided onits lower end with a cross-bar 8. Attached to each end of the cross-bar8 is a short rod 9, having secured to its free end a compensating spring10, the other end of the compensating spring being attached to a bentrod 11, supported from the car-body by means of a bracket or track 12,and a pulley 13, secured to said rod and traveling on said track 12. Theother end of each rod 11 is attached to aturnbuckle 11, which in turn issecured to the truckframe. The rod 9 is guided at its forward end bymeans of a pulley 15, attached to said rod, running on a track orbracket 16, similar to the track 12, attached to the under side of theplatform.

By interposing the springs 10 or other compensating devices in theconnections between the headlight and the truck I have provided againstinjury to said connections incident to the independent longitudinalshifting of the car-body in the stopping and starting of the car, itbeing well known that there is considerable play about the king-boltwhich holds the car-bod y to the truck. The compensating devices may beinterposed in said connections at any suitable point between thetruck-frame and the cross-bar 8.

By the use of the turnbuckles it will be evident that the connectionscan be so tensioned that the light from the headlight will be throwndirectly in a right line in front of the car, and when so regulated itwill be clear that inrounding a curve the headlight will be immediatelyshifted or turned to throw the light on the track between the railsthereof or in the path of travel.

1n the modification shown in Fig. 3 the T-head rod 6 instead of passingdown through the buffer-head is considerably shortened and has its endattached to a link 17 by means of a gimbal-joint 18, the other end ofthe link being attached by a gimbal-joint 19 to one end of a rod 20,journaled in bearings on the buifer-head. The-lower end of the rod 20 isprovided with cross-bar 8, as vhereinbefore described.

In the modification shown in Fig. 4: the numeral 21 indicates a suitablebracket, secured to the front of the car or locomotive at any convenientpoint, provided with a downward, rearward, and upward extension 21, inwhich is mounted in suitable bearings a short shaft 22, carrying at oneend a crossbar 23 and at the other end a beveled gear 24. The T-head rod6, which is made short, is provided at its lower end with a beveled gear25, meshing with the gear 24, as shown. To each end of the cross-bar ispivotally attached one end of a short rod 26, the other end of each rodbeing attached to a short sprocketchain 27, running over asprocket-wheel 28, secured to the frame of the car or locomotive. Theother end of each sprocket-chain is attached to the rod 9, heretoforedescribed. The operation of this construction will be obvious.

It will be evident that other compensating devices, such as shown inFigs. 5 and 6, may be employed instead of the springs 10. In themodification shown in Fig. 5 the compensating device consists of acylinder 29 and a piston 30, interposed at any point between thetruck-frame and the cross-bar 8 and having a rubber or other buffertherein. The

modification shown in Fig. 6 covers a leafspring secured to the frame ofthe truck, and

each has its free end secured to one of the bent rods 11.

It will be obvious that other changes or modifications may be made inthe details of construction of my invention without departing from thespirit or sacrificing the principle thereof.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim, and desire to secureby Letters Patent, is

1. The combination with the truck of a car, and a car-body thereon, of aheadlight supported on an upper rod rotatably attached to the car-body,a lower rod rotatably mounted in suitable bearings on the car-body, adouble gimbal-joint interposed between said rods, connections attachedto each side of the truck and to a cross-bar carried by the lower rod,and means interposed in said connections for automatically varying theirlength in unison with the independent movements of the carbody andcar-truck.

2. The combination with a car-truck, a body thereon, and a headlight, ofsuitable connections between the headlight and truck for turning saidheadlight, springs interposed in said connections, and means for movablysupporting said connections from the carbody.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

GEORGE F. CHAPMAN Witnesses:

LEVI VVALLAOE, GEORGE W. SANDERsoN.

